


A Shifting World

by AplusIsRoman



Series: SBI Age-Swap AU [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adult TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Anarchist Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), BAMF Niki | Nihachu, Canonical Character Death, Corruption, Dream Smp, Family Dynamics, Gen, Good Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Kid Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Kid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Kid Wilbur Soot, L'Manberg War of Independence on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Minecraft, Retelling, Role Reversal, Season/Series 01, Sleepy Bois Incorporated - Freeform, Sort Of, Traitor Toby Smith | Tubbo, Villain Alexis | Quackity, Villain Cara | CaptainPuffy, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AplusIsRoman/pseuds/AplusIsRoman
Summary: How was Wilbur supposed to know it would end like this?The smoke hung in the air and soot clung to his skin. His brother - adopted, but older by two minutes - stood back-to-back with him. The chilling cries of people and the calls of the withers rang through the air above the chasm that was once his home.This wasn’t supposed to happen.How could he have known this would happen?-Sequel to A Child's World
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Wilbur Soot, Cara | CaptainPuffy & TommyInnit, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Wilbur Soot, Floris | Fundy & TommyInnit, Floris | Fundy & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Niki | Nihachu & Phil Watson, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: SBI Age-Swap AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097525
Comments: 32
Kudos: 234





	A Shifting World

How was Wilbur supposed to know it would end like this?

The smoke hung in the air and soot clung to his skin. His brother - adopted, but older by two minutes - stood back-to-back with him. The chilling cries of people and the calls of the withers rang through the air above the chasm that was once his home.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

How could he have known this would happen?

\---

It started so simply.

\---

“It’s not so hard to follow a few simple rules!” Puffy huffed. She may have been small, but Wilbur knew better than to underestimate her. The former pirate captain was known to be a formidable fighter. 

“Psh, it was just a small prank,” Tommy rolled his eyes. Wilbur held back giggles. His older brother wasn’t worried, so Wilbur wasn’t either. 

“You destroyed his home! You should at least help him rebuild it,” Puffy crossed her arms, looking up at Tommy, who only rolled his eyes.

“You’d have to prove it was me, which you can’t! Because I didn’t do it. No evidence, no punishment!”

“You literally signed it as ‘brothers in crime’, and you guys are the only brothers here-” Bad began.

“No evidence, no punishment!” Tommy chanted, gleefully childish. He nudged Wilbur, who joined in.

“No evidence, no punishment!” They both jeered, chanting over any protests or arguments otherwise. 

“Fine, we’ll leave. Come on Bad, Sam.” Puffy’s friends looked annoyed and tired, respectively, as they walked out. Puffy turned at the last minute to get in one final word.

“If you can’t learn to be nice to everyone else here, there will be consequences Tommy,” Puffy promised. “Small pranks are fine, but think about what you’re teaching your little brothers! They’ll grow up to be delinquents!”

Wilbur laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Captain. I’m already a dirty crime boy!”

Tommy whooped and high-fived Wilbur. Puffy sighed and left without saying anything more. 

“Hey, so, not to be annoying or anything, but,” Technoblade began, “can you guys help me out here?” 

Tommy and Wilbur turned to Technoblade in the corner, where they had honestly forgotten about him, and burst back into laughter, to Technoblade’s displeasure. 

“You’re both so helpful. I’m so glad I’m a part of this family,” Technoblade deadpanned. 

“Te-Technobox!” Wilbur choked out past his gasps for breath. “Techno-in-a-box, what will he do!” 

“Technobox, what crimes will he commit!” Tommy crowed back. Technoblade tried in vain, once again, to free himself as his brothers began offering him carrots and generally being no help at all. 

\---

“You know what I’ve realized, Wilbur?” Tommy fiddled with his music discs, reorganizing his extensive collection once again. 

Wilbur turned back around. “What?” 

“Puffy’s in charge, right? She owns-” Tommy gestured wildly, “-this whole place, right? And then there’s Bad, and Sam, and they’re a team, and they made all the rules, right?” 

“Uh, yeah? Tommy, did you hit your head, man?” Wilbur raised an eyebrow. “Do we have to get you checked for amnesia or something?” 

Tommy bopped the back of Wilbur’s head, mussing up his beanie in the process. “No, you fucking idiot, I’m saying they’re in charge, and they all have something in common, yeah?” 

Tommy paused for a moment and Wilbur waited, knowing how their family savored their dramatic pauses. 

“They’re all from the Southern Country,” Tommy concluded. 

Wilbur blinked. “Yeah, you’re right.” 

“And we’re not,” Tommy continued. “And you know, I think most of the people here are from the Southern Country! But then you know there’s us, and Dad of course, and Eret, and Tubbo, and we’re from the Northern Country. And I just think maybe the culture clash is why we’ve had so many skirmishes, so I think I’ve got a solution.” 

“Technoblade’s from the Southern Country,” Wilbur pointed out. 

Tommy waved his hand dismissively. “He doesn’t count. He’s not even really from the Southern Country, he’s from the Nether.” 

“Good point,” Wilbur admitted. 

“So I’m saying, you know, the SMP is supposed to be a whole new country, right? But this place is huge.” Wilbur nodded along to his brother’s words. “I think we should make our OWN country.” 

Wilbur stopped and thought. “Like… for us?” 

“For everyone from the Northern Country!” Tommy grinned. “All of us who are sick of having to listen to those Southern Country pussies tell us what to do!” 

Tommy began to speak in a bad accent. “Oh, watch your language! Oh no, don’t set George’s house on fire! Don’t push a stranger down a cliff because you think it’s funny! Oh, boo hoo, I’m such a big baby but I get to tell everyone else what to do because I own the place!” 

Wilbur started cracking up, and Tommy started laughing too, and the two brothers began to plan out a nation. 

\---

Wilbur followed Tommy’s every word like he could spit silver, but Tommy was an adult, and Wilbur was only sixteen. Tommy wasn’t Wilbur’s best friend. 

Technoblade was. 

“I made a new song,” Wilbur’s guitar hung from his back, strap across his chest. “It’s about L’Manburg.” 

Technoblade nodded. “Play it.” 

“I heard there was a special place,” Wilbur began, sitting on the grass beside his brother. “Where men could go and emancipate, the tyranny and bloodlust of their rulers. Well this place is true, and this I know, with Tommy, Wilbur, Techno, and Tubbo, a pretty big and not blown up L'Manburg.” 

Technoblade’s eyes were closed as Wilbur played, and Wilbur saw the tiny quirk of a smile when his name was mentioned. 

“It's L'Manburg, it's L'Manburg, it's L'Manburg, it's L'Manburg,” Wilbur finished, letting the final note draw out. “What do you think?” 

“It’s good,” Technoblade opened his eyes. “The blowing-up part feels ominous, though.” 

Wilbur laughed. “I dunno, it just felt right. What was your favorite part?” 

“The part with me in it.” 

Wilbur laughed again. 

Technoblade stood, reaching a hand to pull Wilbur up. “So, uh, I had this idea.” 

“Oh?” Wilbur asked. 

“I want to make a horse farm, sort of.” Technoblade explained. “We could breed the horses to get ones that jump higher and run faster than the normal ones we find in the wild. I figured we could make it at my old house.” 

“Sounds great!” Wilbur grinned. “Let me put my guitar away, and we can start setting it up!” 

\---

Technoblade never cried, but Wilbur could see he wanted to when he saw what had happened to his house and his horse farm. 

Wilbur knew Tommy could tell, too, when Tommy put a hand on Technoblade’s shoulder and made eye contact with him, in a rare moment of seriousness. 

“We’ll make them regret messing with us,” Tommy promised. “They’ll never fuck with L’Manburg again once we’re done with them.” 

\---

“I’m sorry,” came a quiet and resolute voice, “but it was never meant to be.” 

\---

“Tubbo, how could you?” Memories flashed in Wilbur’s mind of a better time, when things were peaceful, when Wilbur and Technoblade and Tommy and Tubbo would run around and play games, when ‘war’ was just what happened when someone stole Technoblade’s sword and started swinging it around. He remembered Tubbo comforting him, being the gentle to Tommy’s abrasive, being the blunt to Tommy’s evasive. 

“Tubbo,” came Tommy’s voice, startlingly calm. “Tubbo, listen to me, and I mean this in the nicest way possible-” 

“ _You fucked up._ ” 

\---

Tommy gave one of his lives for the revolution. Wilbur, as his right hand man, had the best seat in the house to watch his older brother, his leader and his idol, fall. 

While Wilbur was officially named as Tommy’s right-hand, it was Technoblade who drew up the majority of the battle plans, and it was Technoblade who led the remaining L’Manburgians to safety after Tommy’s death. 

Wilbur was too shocked. Even when he saw Tommy after his respawn, he still felt the loss like a hole in his chest. 

It had never occurred to Wilbur that Tommy could die. 

\---

Tommy was never one for politics, but Wilbur was. He was thrilled to be vice president, to be able to help shape the policies that would forever dictate this wonderful land, this independent and free country of L’Manburg. 

Tommy mostly used his presidential status to get discounts on various drugs and gear. But that was fine with Wilbur, honestly, because Tommy had DIED for this country, and he deserved to treat himself, right? And it wasn’t that Tommy was pushing all the work on Wilbur or anything, it was just that Tommy trusted Wilbur’s capabilities! 

Wilbur threw himself into the work, rebuilding the battered nation and making it greater than it ever was before. 

\---

Technoblade was lonely. Wilbur noticed. He knew his best friend, his brother, better than probably anyone else did. Wilbur felt a pang of guilt whenever Technoblade came knocking on the office door, asking Wilbur if he’d like to come visit his potato farm, or meet his new horse Carl, or just go sparring or fishing or anything like that, because Wilbur knew he’d have to decline. Technoblade would always just nod and leave, never putting up a fight. 

Wilbur missed his other half like nothing else, but Tommy was depending on him, and his nation was depending on him. 

He noticed that Technoblade was lonely, but he didn’t notice when Technoblade stopped coming by entirely. 

\---

Schlatt was cool, sure, and Wilbur thought that maybe they could be friends in another life, but did he have to run against him and Tommy? The election was really just a formality, honestly; Tommy assured Wilbur that they were the obvious victors. It was just more complicated with another party. 

On top of it, Schlatt was running with SAM, of all people, as in Awesamdude, as in one of the trio they’d fought a war against in the first place! 

Wilbur grumbled irritably from behind the stage where the debates would be held. Wilbur had convinced his brother to pull out a secret weapon of sorts, just to make sure they had a bit of a safety cushion of votes, _just in case._

Wilbur’s sour mood lifted when he caught a glimpse of a man off in the crowd, as-of-yet unnoticed in his blue beanie. 

It would be fine. They’d win the election, have a talk with Schlatt, and everything would go back to normal. 

\---

_Quackity took to the stage, his voice ringing clearly through the speaker system, flanked by Schlatt and Sam. For some reason, though, Wilbur couldn’t hear what he was saying. It felt like there was water in his ears._

_The noise got louder when Tommy grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards, pulling him into a sprint._

_Wilbur paused, glancing over his shoulder - why were they leaving without their third brother? But Technoblade was… coming up onto the stage, staring at Wilbur with an expression he’d never seen before._

_Wilbur could always understand Technoblade. They were two halves of a whole. Why couldn’t he read him now?_

_Wilbur’s pause was long enough to slow Tommy just enough that an arrow pierced his chest._

_They made it out of L’Manburg into a ravine, where Tommy proceeded to bleed out his second life._

\---

Tommy said an old friend was coming - he said it was someone Wilbur knew, someone who would help them overthrow Quackity and get back their home. 

The person who came down the steps into Pogtopia was grizzled from war, armor covering up scars and a manic grin flashing white teeth Wilbur’s way. 

Wilbur lit up, bounding over. 

“You got- you got _Nihachu_ ?” Wilbur gaped. “Oh my god, you’re so cool- I’m _such_ a fan.” 

Nihachu was the stuff of legends. 

And she was on their side, ruffling Wilbur’s hair and joking with Tommy like anyone else. 

They were going to win, Wilbur just knew it. 

\---

The old L’Manburg flag blazed in the sky. Fundy, trapped in Manburg and unable to leave and join his exiled sons, gaped at the flames, trying and failing to stutter out a sentence. Tubbo stood beside him, an old (former) family friend having come to check on him, eyes wide. 

“Surely not…” Tubbo managed. 

The unmistakable silhouette of Eret stood at the base of the flagpole, saluting with a flint and steel, a steely smile gracing their face. 

\---

“...Wilbur, are we the good guys?” Tommy asked. 

Wilbur looked up, confused. “We are. We’re in the right here.” 

“I know,” Tommy scoffed. “I’m always right.” 

“Okay, so, why would we be the bad guys?” 

His older brother didn’t respond for a few moments. “I just- I just think that, this festival, it’s a good idea. This doesn’t seem evil.” 

Wilbur frowned. “Yeah?” 

“This is nice, you know, it’s- it’s friendly, this thing Quackity’s doing.” 

“...Yeah?” Wilbur repeated. 

“I just… then how are we the good guys?” 

Wilbur blanked at that. 

Tommy continued. “We just put ourselves in charge, you know, and then Quackity won the election, you know, in a perfectly legal way, and now we’re going to overthrow him? It just doesn’t seem like - like something the good guys would do, Wilbur, it seems like - this seems wrong.” 

Wilbur swallowed. He felt goosebumps rise on his skin, as if the temperature had just dropped. 

“Wilbur,” Tommy spoke quieter now, voice barely a whisper. The blue of his irises somehow seemed grayer than Wilbur had ever seen them. “Am I a hero in this story?” 

\---

Wilbur would always follow Tommy, always, but that didn’t mean he agreed with him. 

(Tommy so badly wanted to be the hero, and if he couldn’t be the hero, then _damn it all to hell,_ he’d be the _best goddamn villain the world had ever seen._ ) 

Puffy had given him the TNT he wanted, and Wilbur couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

Wilbur just hoped that when the time came, he’d be able to talk him down. 

\---

Niki shot Technoblade. _Nihachu shot Techno._

Wilbur’s lungs felt like they were on fire. He didn’t know if it was from the smoke lingering in the air alongside the scent of copper, or if it was from the hoarse screaming that had started in his throat and had yet to stop. 

\---

Fundy came back with them, running from the smoke and horror of the red festival. 

Dad wrapped his arms around Wilbur and Technoblade, promising that somehow, _somehow_ , they’d get their home back. 

On the other side of the ravine, Tommy snickered at the scene. 

\---

Schlatt wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. 

It helped that he was on their side, now. 

\---

Captain Puffy and her team were fighting for Manburg. 

War was inevitable. 

\---

Quackity swayed on his feet, unarmed before the entire Pogtopia militia - Tommy, Wilbur, Technoblade, the infamous Nihachu, Schlatt, Fundy; Eret, revealed to be a spy on their side; and Tubbo, who’d forsaken his kingship to side with his friends. Puffy and her forces stood to the side, as did the Dreamlands. 

“Is he _high_?” Technoblade asked incredulously. 

Quackity giggled. “What are you, a cop?” 

Quackity stumbled backwards, tripping over an empty potion bottle on the floor of the scorched remains of George’s old house. Instinctively, Wilbur reached out to catch him, but he was too late. 

Quackity’s skull hit the corner of the wall with a sickening crack. 

He didn’t get back up. 

\---

Wilbur was grateful, truly, he was. 

But… 

“I’m the dirty crime boy,” he spoke into the microphone, getting a few hearty chuckles from the audience. “How am I supposed to be president?” 

Tommy didn’t want it, either. 

Seeing Technoblade walk up on the stage, Wilbur felt relief. Techno was a good choice; it was Tommy’s choice after all, and Wilbur trusted Tommy. 

Even after everything. 

Technoblade tapped the microphone and coughed. 

“Uh, alright. You know, when I first heard about this revolution a few months ago, my first thought was, wow, this is going to be a trainwreck.” 

That made a bunch of people laugh, and Wilbur could see some of the tension leave Technoblade’s shoulders. He never did like public speaking - he’d been absolutely _terrified_ at the festival, even before the execution part. 

“But I knew… I had to be part of it, for my… friends.” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes. He knew Techno meant family. 

“Besides, at least I wouldn’t have to do any public speaking, so when Tommy called me up to this stage a minute ago I thought, oh goddamn it.” 

More laughter, and a quiet ‘language!’ from the back row, where Wilbur realized Puffy and her team still sat, quiet, next to Nihachu. 

“But that’s honestly enough about me, because… I don’t want to be president.” 

Wilbur blinked in surprise. 

_“I’ll be back,” Tommy says, but no one notices._

“I don’t think L’Manburg should have a government,” Technoblade continued. “Honestly, I’ve never been a fan. I know you all are attached to the name, so I figure we can keep that, but really, having a government has only ever caused problems. It just churns out tyrants, and I’m sure not going to be the next one.” 

People were talking amongst themselves now, whispers and murmurs that grew in volume. Wilbur felt nervous and looked to his dad, who put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer as the crowd got louder. 

“We can be a commune,” Technoblade began to explain. “We can work together, as equals-” 

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. 

\---

The smoke hung in the air and soot clung to his skin. Technoblade stood back-to-back with him. The chilling cries of people and the calls of the withers rang through the air above the chasm that was once his home. 

Puffy’s laughter rang in Wilbur’s ears, as did Nihachu’s screams of fury. The Dreamlands were fighting too - but it was hard to tell who, exactly, they were fighting. It was chaos. 

Behind what once was the stage there was a small cavern. Wilbur saw Tommy there, his big brother, his idol, his hero, his leader. 

Tommy’s smile was wider than it had been in months as he watched the carnage. 

\---

“Dad?” 

There was no denying it, he realized, shaking as he watched the dust settle. People fought down below them, against each other and against the monsters that soared through the air. 

He remembered once, that during one of his dad’s rare visits, he’d held him close like he was something precious as he promised that he would always be protected from the monsters that roamed the world. It was a good memory. 

His dad was gone, he realized, staring at the man who’d taken his place. Dull gray eyes replaced the blue that he’d known, and the body-snatcher laughed at the fire and violence and pain. He laughed until he turned back around, realizing that the boy was there. 

“Dad,” Philza choked out. His wings fluttered under his haori. He was too young to fly; his wings held only soft downy feathers, and yet he struggled to fight the urge to take them out and fly far, far away from here, away from the monster wearing Tommy’s face. 

“Phil,” Tommy’s voice softened. He got down on one knee, holding out his arms. The monster looked like his dad again, enough that Philza felt safe to run into his hug. 

“Dad,” Philza sobbed into his shoulder. “What’s going on? You said- you said you lived in L’Manburg, right? I- you said you lived here so I came, but-” 

“Shh, shh,” Tommy rubbed his back. “This- this was L’Manburg, but it’s not anymore.” 

Philza trembled. “Because it’s blown up now?” 

“No. L’Manburg died a long time ago.” 

“I- I don’t get it,” Philza hiccupped. He wanted to close his eyes, but he had a perfect view of everything happening beneath him, and he just couldn’t look away. It was worse than any nightmare he’d ever had. Wasn’t that Ms. Niki, who used to visit him when Dad was too busy to come by the village that raised him? Why was she angry? 

“It’s alright.” Dad’s voice was quiet. “I need you to do something for me.” 

“Oh- okay.” Tommy pulled away from Philza, reaching over and picking up a sword. Philza gingerly took it, holding it the way Ms. Niki taught him. 

His dad smiled. “You’re so good, Philza. You’re going to be a great fighter someday.” 

“I want to fight the monsters,” Philza murmured. “I wanna protect people.” 

“Good.” Tommy took the end of the sword, avoiding cutting his hand on the sharp edge, and pointed it towards his chest. His voice was soft, like when he used to read him bedtime stories. “Phil, I need you to kill a monster for me. _Please._ ” 

Philza’s small frame shook from a sob, but he could see a tiny bit of blue in his dad’s eyes now. This is what his dad had taught him, right? His dad always talked about heroes slaying the monsters and saving the day. 

Philza wished monsters weren’t real. 

\---

Wilbur held Technoblade’s hand, letting him guide them somewhere. 

Wilbur’s brain felt like mush. All his thoughts had turned to static. He was so tired. So much had happened, so quickly, and he couldn’t stop crying. 

The only coherent word he could process was _Tommy, Tommy, Tommy._

Wilbur felt Techno, his best friend and brother - his _only brother_ \- maneuver him to sit down. The bench felt cool. It was soothing. Wilbur could feel his tense muscles start to relax. The old tune that started to play helped calm the screaming in his head. He felt numb, and leaned to rest his head on Technoblade’s shoulder. 

The sun set in front of them as Puffy watched from nearby. 

\---

Niki knew what it was like to watch your loved ones die. She knew what it was like to slay a monster with a familiar face. 

Eventually, the withers were defeated, and the great Nihachu was forced to flee north, but she didn’t leave alone. 

The tiny bundle on her back clung to her, crying the whole way. 

Niki would be peaceful, for him. 

“For you the world, Phil.” 


End file.
